New major in general studies launched

A new major will allow students returning to college
and transfer students to make the most of their credits toward a bachelor’s
degree.

The university is offering a degree
in general studies beginning this term. The major offers students the ability
to use more credits from a wide variety of subject areas toward one degree.

Although it is not as narrowly focused
as a single-discipline major, the general studies major will require 72 to 73 credits
of the 120 credits required for graduation to be distributed over three areas
of studies. Students will have to design their academic plan to include courses
from three of five areas, which are arts and letters; behavioral, economic and
political science; history, cultures and philosophical inquiry; physical, life
and computational sciences; and professional studies.

The remainder of the credits can be
made up in elective courses, which allows students to get the most use out of
any credits they have previously taken at Pitt-Bradford, another college or
university, in the military or through a professional program.

Students will choose a minor,
participate in an internship or service learning project and complete a senior
capstone course, just as students in other majors do.

Dr. Stephen Robar, associate dean of
academic affairs and associate professor of political science, said that the
registrar’s office and academic advisors have been seeing students entering the
university with a broad smattering of credits that did not fit well into any
one major. For those students, credits that had already been earned could not
be used toward their requirements for a Pitt degree, but now they can be.

The professional provision, Robar
said, should be particularly helpful for students who are currently employed
and whose jobs now require them to earn a bachelor’s degree. For example, a
worker who is an accountant can earn accounting credits for past work
experience by providing an approved work experience portfolio, saving time and
money toward the completion of a degree.